Please note: This was screened in Oct 2015
The full 1979 seven-part BBC mini-series of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, in which spymaster George Smiley is brought out of retirement to unmask the Russian agent hidden in the senior ranks of British Intelligence with only a few old friends, his own powers of deduction, and secrecy as weapons. Starring the great Alec Guinness, the outstanding series also features some of the finest TV actors of their generation, including Ian Bannen, Hywel Bennett, Michael Jayston, Beryl Reid and Ian Richardson. Dramatised by Arthur Hopcroft and directed by John Irvin, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy perfectly captures John le Carré's own insight into the shady underworld of spies and the political climate during the Cold War.
Introduced by author Adam Sisman (John le Carré: The Biography). The series consists of 7 episodes - There will be a 45 minute interval after episode 3, followed by another short 10 minute break after episode 6.
Presented in partnership with Bristol Festival of Ideas.